 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Leonard A
Date: 2002-12-09 15:54
I play the saxophone and am considering adding clarinet (Bb) to my repertoir. What are the pros and cons of the various materials, wood, plastic, resonite etc. I always heard that the disadvantage of wood was that it warps, but I would appreciate any information you can give me.
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Author: RS
Date: 2002-12-09 19:37
Acoustical properties of the various materials you mention is a controversial subject. A real can of worms. But if you're mostly concerned with stability, durability, etc., get a Buffet Greenline model. It will sound fine and will not crack or warp (supposedly). As for an inexpesive student model, the Yamaha plastic seems to be well regarded.
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Author: Leonard A
Date: 2002-12-09 19:56
Thanks for your reply. I'm looking at inexpensive models on ebay. What do you think of the Bundy resonite or other Selmer student models. Bundy seems to have gotten some favorable comments on this forum site. Thanks
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Author: RS
Date: 2002-12-09 20:12
Bundy should be fine for a starter clarinet. I have one and it plays pretty well but I might quibble about the shape and positioning of some of the keywork. I haven't tried the Yamaha but have heard good things about it.
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Author: Benni
Date: 2002-12-09 23:23
Hi . . . This is the first time I've posted here, so I hope you guys don't mind if I toss in my two cents -
I think the Vito is an excellent student clarinet. I played one until just recently, and it is a very versatile horn, as it sounds good for both jazz and legit situations. It has a medium-large bore (0.584") and is plastic, but has a nice, resonant sound for a plastic clarinet. (I recently moved on to a Selmer Series 9 . . . great horn!!)
Also, I'm just starting to learn to double on saxophone. Do you have any recommendations for a good, yet inexpensive sax? I'd probably only be playing jazz on it.
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Author: bigleagues00
Date: 2002-12-10 00:35
ive played yamaha student clarinets. they're very decent and will be more than good enough for starters. u could get a new plastic student yamaha for around 400 bucks.
selmer also has some good ones at similar prices. ive used intermediate selmers dat cost a bit more but play extremely well and in tune. if u are serious about learning da clarinet, go out and get a 5 to 6 hundred dollar selmer. consider a yamaha too.
but if ur only gonna learn da clarinet for hobby and for fun, u could get a solid Jean Baptiste beginner clarinet for around $200 and would be well worth it.
also, the mouthpiece and reeds have almost as much importance as the instrument itself. since ya already play sax, u might know a bit or two about this area.
the mouthpiece dat comes with da instrument is usually unreliable. a standard jean baptiste costs around 15 bucks and will do for most starters. however theres also some good selmers and rico royals out there that sell for 20-30 bucks and they should be the best value. theres also pro mouthpieces like vandorens out there for 80 to 120 bucks.
as for reeds, i reccommend rico 2.5's
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Author: leonard a
Date: 2002-12-10 01:03
To Benni, you asked about inexpensive saxes. I have a Conn 20M alto that does very well. Paid $325 on ebay for it. I have a Vito YSP tenor that is great. It's more of an intermediate horn. Vito's are presently made by Yamaha, but they tend to go for less money on ebay than Yamaha, and I like my Vito fine. If you want to spend a little more money, get a Vintage Martin. They are known for their great sound. Hopen this helps, and thanks for your info on the clarinet.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2002-12-10 01:37
Cheap saxes can be found in the want ads all the time. I got my sax for 100 dollars a few years ago. A newer Beuscher Aristocrat. It's not bad. Want ads for really cheap. Probably cheaper than ebay. It Ait ain't too bad. But good to learn on until you decide that you DEFINITELY want a good one.
Alexi
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-12-10 11:07
Vito clarinets are inferior to Yamaha in several ways, including moulded-in posts instead of screwed in, no undercutting of tone holes....
Be careful of plastic American instruments, It is common for all the corks (often a poor synthetic substitute) to gradually slide off the keys. Cheaper is not better. Go for Yamaha.
Conn 20M saxes are one of the curses of my life as a technician, partly because of severely non-level tone holes, and a generally scruffy standard of design and manufacture. Definitely not to be recommended! Again, go for Yamaha for easy playability and reliability.
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Author: Michael
Date: 2002-12-10 14:03
Gordon;
Maybe the old ones, this is off the site. I also have one and it plays fine.
7212
The sound of the Vito 7212 is beautifully centered and plays with an amazingly fluid, agile and efficient response, making it the ideal instrument for the beginning clarinet player. It is extremely free-blowing and produces a clear, radiant tone quality perfect for playing in beginning ensembles. All Vito Resotone Bb soprano clarinets feature the exclusive Positive Radial Alignment Guide, or PRAG, ensuring proper alignment of the instrument's upper and lower joints. Standard features such as power-forged nickel-silver keys, undercut tone holes and our patented in-line “Jump” trill keys have made this Vito clarinet one of the best-selling clarinets in the world.
Specifications
Key: Bb
Bore: 14.85 mm (.584")
Key mechanism: 17 key, 6 ring
Key style: In-line “Jump” trill keys
Body material: Resotone plastic with high-gloss finish
Pad cup style: Conical
Key finish: Nickel-plated
Mouthpiece: Vito II 2540P
Case: Formed
Options: Available with carryall case as 7212-CA; with wood-shell case as 7212-WC; and with one-piece case as 7212-SP
Regards;
Michael
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Author: Benni
Date: 2002-12-10 22:58
Thanks for the sax info Leonard and Alexi!
Re: Vito vs Yamaha - I've played both, and I didn't like the student Yamaha very much . . . It had a bit of a "plastic-y" tone and the response wasn't the best. I'd give you a model number, but I don't know what it was. On the other hand, I have the Vito 7212 that Michael mentioned, and it plays more like a "real" clarinet. Of course, I've heard that the intonation on the Yamahas is better, but I didn't check out the tuning on the one I played.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-12-11 03:15
Michael wrote:
>
>
> 7212
> The sound of the Vito 7212 is beautifully centered and plays
> with an amazingly fluid, blah, blah, blah ...
Please don't copy the manufacturers marketing hype here; they've plenty of other opportunities to advertise.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-12-11 09:23
Oh, so they now have undercut tone holes. The rest was meaningless marketing hype. Why didn't the specs mention:
Synthetic key corks "attached" with a self adhesive laminate which allows the "corks" to creep off hte keys.
Poor bridge key alignment (in spite of the hype gobbledegook).
Centre tenons that break more often than Yamahas.
Wobbling pivot screws.
Tedency to warble on 1-1 Bb
Wavy tone hole edges
I have seeen all these on Vito, but I'm not certain that they were ALL the 7212 model.
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